Dublin Zoo is mourning the loss of one of its most loved attractions - Harry the Western lowland gorilla

In a statement posted to its Facebook page, the zoo confirmed that Harry died after a short illness.

Harry, who also known as the ‘silverback’, was the leader of Dublin Zoo’s gorilla troop. He was 29 years old and during his time at the zoo he fathered six offspring.

The zoo said that the gorilla was "very gentle and calm" and will be greatly missed.

The exact reason for Harry’s death is still unknown and Dublin Zoo is awaiting the final results of a postmortem.

Gorillas have an average lifespan of 35-40 years.

Social media was quick to react to the news, with people posting messages of sympathy and tribute.

"Genuinely very sad reading this," wrote Triona Ryan Taheny. "Harry has been our family's fav in the zoo for years. We've spent so many hours just sitting watching him, and he's given our kids so many giggles over the years."

Another wrote: "So sad Dublin Zoo , loved seeing Harry when we visited he was a beautiful animal. It won't be the same".

Local Gillian O'Keefe wrote: "Genuinely very said to hear this, I'm 28 and have been visiting Dublin Zoo since a baby as I live beside Phoenix Park, so have always known Harry, fabulous aminal..... will miss seeing him on visits..."